Communists gathered in Durham this morning to announce a ‘national movement’ to criminally remove Confederate monuments and statues they find offensive.
The collection of activists included Antifa, Black Lives Matter, communists, anarchists, and socialists.
The event’s theme was “do it like Durham” and consisted of encouraging other cities to tear down statues and destroy public property.
The event invitation was posted on Facebook by a group calling themselves “Defend Durham.” The invitation cannot be embedded. Here is the text:
Sept 12 – Topple White Supremacy: Pack the Courts & the Streets!
!! RAIN OR SHINE !!
September 12 is the next court date for some of the anti-racist freedom fighters arrested in connection with the toppling of the Confederate statue that once stood in Durham. Show up in Durham to demonstrate our continued support for them and keep pushing forward the struggle to tear down white supremacy!
We will also honor the resistance in Charlottesville, VA on the one month anniversary of the murder of Heather Heyer, and the struggle across the South to tear down the vestiges of the Confederacy and white supremacy – from monuments, to the school to prison pipeline, police brutality, the prison industrial complex, and more.
Communities and organizers from Charlottesville to Durham have shown that now is the time to take bold and courageous action — to pick either the side of white supremacy or the side of freedom fighters who dare to envision a different and better world for all.
Join us in Durham to take the side of freedom – we will first gather outside the Durham County Courthouse, and then march to Victory Plaza (Durham Central Park – 501 Foster Street) for a community celebration and assembly.
We will hear from speakers and special guests! Also, be sure to get your limited edition ‘Do It Like Durham’ shirts and hats at the demonstration!
The invitation was tagged with the words Causes, Free Admission and Kid Friendly.
Communists from the World Workers Party led the demonstration, including those arrested for the criminal destruction of the statue and on charges of inciting a riot.
There have been 11 arrests so far in relation to the destruction of the Durham statue. Later that same week that the statue was torn down by communists, anarchists, and members of Black Lives Matter, a hoax nearly shut down the city of Durham.
The attorney representing those charged in the Durham statue case, C. Scott Holmes, is apparently the responsible party for jump-starting the hoax in Durham. Holmes tweeted out a rumor that the KKK was coming to Durham.
One minute after Holmes tweeted the rumor, Councilwoman Jillian Johnson retweeted him. Neither has been held accountable for their actions, but the city of Durham has moved to change their social media policies to prevent future hoaxes.
Holmes is now apparently representing Dwayne Dixon, who has weapons charges filed against him after he showed up to the Durham hoax with a semi-automatic weapon.
Loan Tran, the World Workers Party alleged spokeswoman, led the “Do It Like Durham” march to the disfigured statue in front of the Durham Courthouse. Tran has been charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors for her role in toppling the statue.
There, the group cheered and celebrated their handiwork which has resulted in 11 arrests on felony and misdemeanor charges.
The tweet above is from Ben Carroll, who is a co-founder of Triangle Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). Carroll refers to those arrested for vandalizing public property as “Anti-Racist Freedom Fighters.”
In the embedded video, Loan Tran and Takiyah Thompson, who was the first one charged in the Durham statue case, lead a chant of, “Who took it down? We took it down!” and “Who shushed it down? We shushed it down!”
Other chants of “No Trump. No KKK. No Fascist USA ” was led also by Tran. These chants were captured by Indyweek staff reported, Sarah Willetts.
It’s unclear how large the crowd was, but was is clear is that outside agitators from NY City and Baltimore were present per a tweet from a “revolutionary socialist, Marxist-Leninist, working-class trade unionist” named Dante Strobino.
Dante Strobino was also arrested on 2 felonies and 2 misdemeanor charges in relation to the Durham statue.
LL1885 